© Nicolas Party. Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Image courtesy of M+, Hong Kong
NARRATOR:
Water Reflection was created by Nicolas Party in 2022 as part of his Water Reflection series. This soft-pastel-on-linen painting is ninety-nine centimetres high, 104 centimetres wide, and eight centimetres thick.
The work depicts looming mountains under the sun and their reflection on tranquil water, marking the horizon where the mountains and water meet. The colour palette is soft and delicate, featuring low-chroma and low-contrast colours. There are no traces of brushstrokes, just smooth and fine brushwork that creates a velvety texture.
Two mountain ranges, standing on the left and right, occupy the top three quarters of the canvas, while the water takes up the remaining quarter. The mountains are plump and rounded; some undulate gently while others rise sheer from the water. Grey borders are drawn to accentuate their form. The mountain range on the left is higher than the one on the right. It is represented by six distinctive layers which ascend from the front to the back. The lowest layer in the front is white; the two higher layers behind it are light red; further back are the three highest layers, which are light green, light blue, and light grey respectively. The mountain range on the right has a similar structure, but it is wider and one-fifth lower, with a few more layers.
Between the two mountains are hints of grey, signifying another group of mountains further in the distance. The water is also light grey, which increases in hue when it is near the mountains. The orange sun hangs high in the middle of the sky, and shines on the mirror-like water reflection of the lower half of the mountains. It glints off the water and casts a beam of light on the surface, which appears as bright yellow dots. The closer to the mountains, the smaller the dots become, as if the sunlight is dispersed by gentle waves. The white dots on the water surface resemble ripples adorning the reflection.